Welcome to Ramses II
In our first article, we followed the steps of the Grand Egyptian Museum's construction and explored its technical department, responsible for the restoration of objects discovered by archaeologists. It's time to discover some of the treasures it holds.
As soon as you push open the GEM's door, a majestic hall (the Atrium) of
10,000 square meters welcomes us under a glass roof and a grandiose staircase of 108 steps spanning an area of 6,000 square meters over 6 floors.
The museum comprises 12 galleries and has a structure organized around three main themes: royalty, society, and beliefs, thus covering periods from the pre-dynastic era to the Greco-Roman era.
A fabulous journey through 7000 years of history
The Grand Hall is dominated by the colossal statue of Ramses II, discovered near ancient Memphis in 1820. 3000 years old, 11 meters high and weighing over 80 tons of red granite, the imposing statue seems to step forward to welcome us.
Before the GEM, it stood at the entrance of Cairo's railway station in the square named after the pharaoh. It had to be placed inside the museum even before the hall's construction, as it was impossible to bring it through the doors due to its exceptional dimensions.
As for the grand staircase, it is itself designed as a work of art and offers a breathtaking view of the pyramids. It is adorned with colossal statues of pharaohs, sarcophagi, and priceless objects arranged according to four precise themes following a spectacular staging: statues of kings and queens, places of prayer, the king's relationship with the gods, and finally the sarcophagi of kings and queens.
At the top of the steps and all along the route, the highlight of the show is, of course, the breathtaking view of the pyramids.
A Few Wonders
The museum brings together the most beautiful treasures of ancient Egypt and contains thousands of pieces, all meticulously restored in situ, in the museum's laboratories. Furthermore, thousands of other pieces are awaiting their turn to be restored.
Among these wonders is a floor dedicated to Tutankhamun. The young pharaoh, who died at 19, fascinates tourists worldwide as much as Egyptologists and other researchers.
This is mainly due to the incredible treasure discovered intact in his tomb by archaeologist Howard Carter, whose discovery marked a decisive turning point in the history of Egyptology.
Tutankhamun's treasure includes over 5000 objects displayed in 2 galleries spanning 7000 square meters.
Among the fabulous pieces belonging to Tutankhamun is his famous funerary mask, a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian craftsmanship and goldsmithing. It is made of solid gold set with turquoise, lapis lazuli, quartz... and weighs nearly 10 kg.
It was placed in the pharaoh's tomb to allow his soul to recognize his body in the afterlife.
Also on display in the two galleries dedicated to him are his golden throne and his six war chariots, his three funerary beds, one of which is solid gold, and hundreds of objects (jewelry, amulets, clothing, etc.) intended to accompany him into the afterlife.
The Boat of Khufu
Another major attraction of the museum is the Khufu Boats Hall, where one can admire the pharaoh's solar boat, builder of the Great Pyramid. It measures 43.5 meters long by 5.9 meters wide and is over 4,600 years old.
A symbolic object of Egyptian mythology linked to the cycle of Ra, the sun god, it is considered the oldest intact ship in the world.
This masterpiece, made of cedar wood from Lebanon, highly prized in antiquity, was intended to transport the deceased king to the afterlife.
It was found intact in a pit, but disassembled into 1224 pieces, like a puzzle. It took experts 10 years to reassemble it, as its mechanism contained neither screws nor nails.
In our next article, we will study the museum's impact, a source of national pride, on Egypt's cultural influence and economy.